Bonbini from Aruba! Aruba is one of the most Americanized islands in the Caribbean. Itís always summer here, and almost always dry, with an average temperature of 82 degrees.

Aruba is located in the heart of the southern Caribbean, 15 miles from the South American coastline. The island is 19.6 miles long and six miles across at its widest point, with a total area of 70 square miles.

Unlike Netherland Antilles sister islands, Bonaire and Curacao, Arubaís topography and vegetation are unusual for a Caribbean island. On the south and west coast are miles of pristine, white sandy beaches that rank among the most beautiful in the world, rimmed by calm blue sea with visibility in some areas to a depth of a hundred feet. The Northeast coast is rugged and wild. The interior is desert like, with a variety of cacti and dramatic rock formations. The islands most famous trees are the Watapana or Divi-divi trees, all permanently sculpted into graceful southwest-bending shapes by the constant trade winds.

Our hosts on this Dive Travel adventure are Jads Dive Center, Mill Resort and Suites and the Brickell Bay Beach Club Hotel.

We arrive in the capitol city of Oranjestad during their annual carnival celebration, and the island is filled with lengthy parades with thousands of islanders dressed in colorful costumes.

We came here to dive the many wrecks found just off shore around the island. Aruba is recently becoming known more for wreck diving since having far more wrecks than its sister islands, but the reefs and marine life are spectacular as well.